I wrote this little reflection last winter. Tonight, the image of returning to the public swimming pool, despite occasional mishaps returned to me, as a fit symbol for my life.

I did cartwheels all summer, did you? I could never do a round-off, and I would fall back on my bottom when I tried handsprings, but I did cartwheels all summer, and stubbed my toes, and got bee stings wearing rubber thongs on my feet.

I did cartwheels all summer, did you? I rode my turquoise Schwinn with fins and a basket one mile to the swimming pool at North Side Park. Someone pushed my head under the water, but not for too long and not too often. So I kept going.

Those were the days we didn't think to carry water around as we moved about town. We never thought to. Was there always a drinking fountain nearby? It was hot, we rode our bikes, spending much of each day outside, but never carried water about.